His body stiffened for a moment, and then, as if all his bones had been removed, he collapsed limply.
Thud—
The back of Qin Zhong’an’s head hit the floor tiles with a dull thud.
His eyes remained open, but his pupils were already dilated. A thin line of saliva trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his limbs twitched unconsciously twice before falling completely still.
The office fell into a dead silence.
Liu Junnan stood beside Qin Zhong’an’s body, looking down at him. His chest heaved violently, and his fingers remained in that same posture from moments ago, suspended in mid-air and trembling slightly.
He looked down at his hand.
That hand was shaking.
He knew what he had done.
Attacking internal personnel of the organization—especially a liaison with supervisory duties like Qin Zhong’an—was a serious crime.
If Qin Zhong’an woke up and reported this...
Liu Junnan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
No!
He could never let that happen!
He crouched down, flipped Qin Zhong’an’s body over, and checked his pulse.
He was just knocked out. It was fine.
Liu Junnan stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.
The night wind rushed in, carrying the coolness of early autumn and the smell of diesel from the distant logistics park.
He leaned against the window frame, gazing at the lights of ten thousand homes in Jiangcheng. Suddenly, he smiled.
There was no warmth in that smile, only something bordering on pathological.
“One month...” he murmured to the night, his voice as light as the wind.
“Just one month...”
He reached out his hand as if to grasp something invisible in the distance.
“I will definitely find you!”
His fingers slowly closed, clenching into a fist.
“Without fail!”
...
A flash of light appeared, and Su Wan materialized in Room 102.
The familiar scent of the apocalypse rushed toward her.
Before she could even steady herself, the system’s notification pings exploded in her mind one after another:
【Ding! Host has returned to the Apocalyptic Plane.】
【Travel duration: 16 hours in Blue Star time, 16 hours in Apocalyptic Plane time.】
【Synchronizing Main Quest progress...】
【Main Quest: Prosperity of the Shelter (Successfully recruit and accept 2,000 new Official Tenants)】
【Current Progress: 1,486/2,000!】
Su Wan looked at the number, slightly stunned.
One thousand four hundred and eighty-six people.
She had been gone for less than a day, yet the number of new tenants had increased by over thirteen hundred.
This speed was far faster than she had anticipated.
It also proved that there were far more vagrants struggling to survive in the Ruin Zone than she had thought.
【Summary of shelter operation data during the Host's time on Blue Star—】
【New Official Tenants: 1,349】
【Rental Income (including credit): 809,400 Star Coins (Points)】
【Convenience Store and Medical Station Profit: 217,000 Star Coins (Points)】
【Mission Completion Rewards (Tenants spontaneously accepting daily missions): 43,800 Star Coins (Points)】
【Current Point Balance: -39,400 -> +1,010,800 (Points updating in real-time...)】
Su Wan looked at the seven-figure Point balance, her mouth twitching slightly.
She had become a millionaire the moment she returned?
Of these million-plus Points, more than half came from rental income.
Over thirteen hundred new tenants, each paying 600 Star Coins a month, added up to nearly eight hundred thousand.
However, rent was settled monthly. Once this month’s collection was over, there wouldn't be more until next month.
While the profits from the convenience store and medical station were considerable, most of it would need to be used for restocking and maintaining operations.
【Reminder: Main Quest progress is at 1,486/2,000. Only 514 more new tenants are needed to complete the mission.】
【Based on the current growth rate, the target is expected to be reached within the next 24 to 48 hours.】
Su Wan walked quickly out of Room 102 and looked toward the first-floor lobby.
The sight before her left her slightly dazed.
The first-floor lobby was packed with people.
No, not just packed—it was nearly overflowing.
At the registration desk, six robots were lined up in a row, each with a long queue in front of it.
The lines stretched from the center of the lobby all the way to the entrance, and from the entrance out of the building.
C1 was currently scanning a middle-aged man with a face full of stubble. Red light from the mechanical arm swept over his body, and three seconds later, a notification sounded:
【Scanning complete. Vital signs stable. Meets basic admission criteria.】
【Please read the lease terms carefully. Press your thumbprint once you agree.】
The middle-aged man hardly hesitated, pressing his rough finger firmly onto the contract.
The contract transformed into a streak of light and vanished. C1 ejected a metal plate from its body:
【Room Number: West Side 706. Please keep it safe. Next.】
The man took the metal plate, clutched it tightly in his hand, and turned toward the stairs.
Su Wan noticed that his eyes were red.
After walking a few steps, he looked back at the robot. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only gave a deep bow and quickly disappeared into the stairwell.
Su Wan withdrew her gaze and looked toward a corner of the lobby.
There, the queue for the Star Coin Exchange Machine was even longer than the one at the registration desk.
Some held small bags of gold grains, some carried a few dim Energy Crystal Cores, and some held a pile of Old Era parts scavenged from the ruins.
As each item was swallowed by the machine, it spat out numbers representing "wealth" a few seconds later.
Most of those numbers were small—a few hundred Star Coins, dozens, or even just a few.
Every person who received their money carried something called hope on their person.
Just then, Black Rat ran in from outside.
When he saw Su Wan, he paused, a flash of joy crossing his face as he hurried over:
“Landlord, you’ve finished your rest?”
Su Wan nodded, her gaze still fixed on the crowd.
Black Rat understood what she meant. He followed her gaze, grinned, and said:
“You have no idea, Landlord! The news that our Terminal Station can completely resist the Death Tide has already spread throughout the entire Panshi City Ruin Zone!”
“And that group of soldiers who came to cause trouble earlier? The news that bullets couldn't get in and people disappeared the moment they charged in has also spread.”
He pointed at the figures busy in the ruins outside the window, his tone carrying a hint of pride:
“Who doesn't know about the ‘Terminal Station’ now?”
“As long as they sign the contract, even if they live outside, they’re considered our tenants. If anything happens, they can run into the building. It’s ten thousand times better than hiding out there!”
Su Wan watched the busy figures outside the window and said nothing.
Black Rat continued, “After the Death Tide passed, quite a few people went out to find supplies.”
“In the past, they didn't dare go too far for fear of getting injured, getting sick, or dying out there with no one to care.”
“It’s different now.”
He rubbed his hands together and chuckled. “Now everyone knows that if they get hurt, they just need to hurry back to the building to exchange Star Coins for medicine, or just recover inside...”
“The air in this building is clean and the environment is good. Wounds heal several times faster than they do outside.”
“Quite a few veteran hunters who used to just scrape by in the Ruin Zone have come to us now.”
“They’ve realized that even if they’re seriously injured, as long as they can make it back to the building alive, they can survive with medicine and a clean environment.”
“So they’ve grown bolder. They even dare to run toward the Non-Safe Zone now.”
Rate on N.U.
